Laura "Harriett" Strickland

Memorial services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday in Schooler Funeral Home, Brentwood Chapel, with the Rev. Corky Holland, senior adult minister at First Baptist Church of Amarillo, officiating. Private burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery. Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home, 4100 S. Georgia St.

Harriett was born Sept. 22, 1924, on the family farm near Booker to Ivan and Aletta Allen. She graduated from Booker High School in 1941 as salutatorian. While at Booker High, she played tennis and participated in forensic debate competitions. She attended Texas State College for Women — now Texas Woman’s University. While at TSCW, she met her future husband, Richard G. Strickland. Harriett completed her education at West Texas State College — now West Texas A&M University — in 1960 with a degree in elementary education.

On Aug. 27, 1942, she married Richard G. Strickland in Denton. She enjoyed sewing and needlepoint activities and cooking for friends and family reunions. She was employed by Amarillo Independent School District for 22 years. She taught math and science to fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders, first at Lamar Elementary School from 1960 to 1968 and then at Ridgecrest Elementary School from 1968 to 1982. After retiring, the couple enjoyed traveling extensively in the U.S. and into Canada, often with good friends, camping along the way. They also enjoyed visiting family, especially their grandchildren.

Harriett was a member of First Baptist Church and the Adult Seven Reaching Out Sunday school class.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 51 years; two brothers, Frank Allen and Leland Allen; a daughter, Anita C. Smith; and a granddaughter, Shannon Spivey.

Survivors include two daughters, Kay Hohes and husband Ronald of Muleshoe and Barbara Spivey and husband Philip of Albuquerque, N.M.; two brothers, Ivan Allen of Lake Jackson and R.D. Allen and wife Jane of Midwest City, Okla.; three sisters, Mamie Alger of Irving, Effie Townsend of Copperas Cove and Dorothy Tate of Austin; two sisters-in-law, Sally Allen of Houston and Dorothy Allen of Albuquerque; seven grandchildren, Shaun Spivey and Erin Spivey, Laura Carr and husband Kevin, Deborah Kettner and husband Kelly, Greg Smith and wife Chesney, Courtney Jeffries and husband John and Kimber Perisho and husband Derek; and 11 great-grandchildren.